7 Digital Products You Can Sell as a Solopreneur

A digital product can be anything from a license for a photo to an online class. For business owners, digital products are an effective way to make a passive income. Learn more about how you can turn digital files into dollar signs.

What Is a Digital Product?

A digital product is anything you can sell online that only exists in a digital format. Unlike when you have a brick-and-mortar, when you sell digital-only, you do not have an inventory of physical products. Instead, you will list your product on an online platform, and your buyers will receive a PDF or other type of digital file when they purchase the item. For example, you can sell digital downloads (like e-books), software applications (like mobile and web apps), online courses, a subscription service and digital art.

5 Reasons to Sell Digital Products

Digital products are an accessible way to jump into entrepreneurship. Here are a few reasons to consider if you want to make this digital venture a source of income:

1. You don’t need much to get started. An internet connection, a good idea and a little bit of hard work are all you need. Digital products come with low production costs. Some people choose to hire illustrators or other freelancers to help them bring a digital product to life, but it still comes with a much lower effort level compared to physical products.
2. You can easily scale your business. Since you can sell digital items in perpetuity (as long as they are still relevant, of course), digital products are easy to scale. You can sell to anyone, regardless of their location. This gives you a bigger audience to whom you can market your product.
3. You don’t have physical inventory to track. When you sell items that come only in physical forms, you have to keep track of inventory and figure out the most optimal times to reorder new products. You don’t have to do any of that with digital products since they are always in stock and available for purchase.
4. It’s an automated process. You can be out living your life and make a sale, and then you don’t have to worry about fulfilling the order. The process is automatic.
5. You can adapt digital products to suit your skill set. Whether you want to use your design skills, expertise in a niche field or ability to create fun online experiences, you can make digital products work for you. The only limits are, really, your own imagination.

How to Sell Your Digital Products

While selling online requires fewer resources to get started, you still have to put in the hard work to attract clients. Here are a few marketing strategies you can try to help you sell your digital products online:

• Make a damn good product. The first thing you need is to create a phenomenal product. You can sell many subpar products, but it won’t help you in the long run. If your customers are not satisfied, they might leave negative reviews, which will affect future sales. Because selling products online is a huge market, you want to provide quality content that helps you stand out. Take your time creating your products, tap into your expertise and give your potential customers the answers they need.
• Find the right platform. Before you can sell your products, you need to find the right platform. Take into consideration how easy it is to upload your products, the types of fees associated with each sale and whether the platform imposes any limitations. (We’re partial to Noodle.)
• Use social media to your advantage. Since you are selling your products digitally, you should market your items online. Social media is an incredibly useful tool. Let’s say you are a photographer with a decade of experience. You can show off your creative process as well as put your technical skills on display. As you gain an audience, you can offer video tutorials to help others sharpen their abilities.
• Consider offering a free product. A good way to show off your expertise is to offer a free product. For example, you can create an e-book on how to become a better writer. As a free accompaniment, you can put together a PDF that shows off a few common mistakes that helped you grow as a writer.

7 Digital Product Ideas

To sell a digital product, you should tap into your skill set and interests. However, it’s important to present it through a unique lens because you will face much competition in this space. Here are a few digital product examples that might work for you:

1. An e-book in your niche. There are many, many e-books available, but if you have a specific niche or interest, this could be a viable path for you.
2. A murder mystery game. If you have a penchant for twists and turns, you might want to try a murder mystery game. Create compelling characters and a plot twist to keep players guessing. Your digital product will include the story and a list of characters.
3. Workout plans. If you are a seasoned personal trainer, you can create a digital workout program — either a step-by-step guide with illustrations or photos or even a workout video series — to reach a wide audience.
4. A podcast. You can sell your podcast series digitally. There are so many topics you can touch on, such as business tips with top leaders, a recap of TV shows through a Gen Z lens or even educational content about space exploration.
5. Printable planner. If you have a knack for staying organized and the requisite design skills, you can create printable planners so that others can achieve balance in their days.
6. Meal plans. If you are a gifted cook who has unique ideas, you can try going this route. Via downloadable guides, you can offer recipes for different cuisines, easy breakfasts to make ahead of time or even meals that take almost no time to whip up.
7. Makeup tutorials. Have you worked with notable names as a makeup artist? Do you have the ability to teach anyone how to apply makeup, regardless of their skill level? You can sell video tutorials that show others how to achieve the look.